Corn roaster



April 1o, 192s. y 1,665,225

l W. SlMEK UORN ROASTER Filed Dec. 2o, 192s BMW ATT NEYS.

'Patented Apr.v 1o, 192e.

. UNiTED S-'TTfSV vWENDEL SIMEK, 0F GETTENBEEG, NEW JERSEY. I

CORN ROASTER. i

Application ledkIDecember 20, 1926. Serial No. 155,816.

This invention is anapparatus forroasting corn and is particularly adapted to be used lin public places, being constructed to.

attract trade to a standor booth whereat the apparatus is used. 3 i j The object of the invention, primarily, is to economically roast` relatively ylarge quantities of lcorn on vthe, ear in a simple, inexpensive vand thoroughly 'efficient manner. The apparatus is constructed to feedicorn on the cob past a heating element from which radiant heat is transmitted to the cornv as the. latter passes bysuch element. A n im. portant feature of the invention consists Vin rotating the 'corn'while in proximity to the heating element in order that all 'sides' of eachv ear of corn maybe uniformly'cooked. I In a preferred forml of carrying out the invention, t-he heating element, vpreferably gas or electric, is arrangedin an inclined position and directlybeneathlsuch heating element is an inclined platform down' which the corn is Yadapted to roll by gravity, so that as the cornfgravitates `downjthejin- Cline, the rolling' thereofl will present allthe movement of the corn into vand out'of the heatingzone is such asto effect a proper roasting of the corn during such period. Accordingly, the corn iis discharged from the heating Zonei in a'condtion readyr for immediate consumption.

x-In'orderthat the cornmay properly roll downv the incline and through the heating zone, I preferably providev holders adapt-V ed gto be positioned between adjacent ends 1 of vtwo ears of. corn 7into" which lthe 'oppo-L site 'ends of afholder are adapted to be impaled.v When two ears-are secured together in the manner described, they ywill roll "much better and more smoothly than iffallowedto separatelygravitate down. the

incline and furthermore provide lconvenient means of handling the hot ears `of roasted corn after being discharged from the-incline.

The apparatus is entirely automatic in its operation, theunroasted corn being manual-- ly fed to the apparatus and manuallyremoved therefrom. Y 1` e f i Featuresr ofthe invention, other than those advertedto, will be appar-ent fromthe `hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction -withfthe accompanying dra-wings.

`Theaccompanying drawing illustratesfone'. i

practical embodiment of -the invention, but

the construction therein shownis to be un-' V i derstood as illustrative,` only,{andV not; as delimngthe limits of thefinvention.

Figure l `is al perspective view of acorn i roaster embodying the present;f invention With av-p'ortion lof the `wall ofthe casing broken away tol showthe interior construe#v tion.

FigureQ is sidel'elevationiof apparal tus shown` in Figure ,'1 with the near end wall of the casing removed, t-hefesca'pement mechanism also removed, andthe burners shown in section in the interest of Aclearn'ess;V and, f.,

Figure 3 shows two ears off'corn secured together by a holder forming :part Yof the invention.v 5 f Referringito'the drawing, l designates a suitable frame provided in its upper portion, with an inclined heating element `2,

lshown as a gas burner. `An electric heating elementmay, however, be used. Positioned 1n rsubstantiallyV parallel relation to the burner 2 and directly beneaththe same is J sa Y anV inclined platform 3,shown as constructed from a plurality ofparallel'bars 4 coveredy by a wire mesh 5 and which` parts collec tively formztheinclined platform'.v

-- Thefstructure ofthe platform may of course be vvaried without'departing from the spirit of this invention, but I find the ar-Y I vlangei'nent Ashown `Lhighly satisfactory [for many reasons. The boards are `spac'edapart a Adistance adapting theintoproperlyysupport the mesh and atthe same time'permit heat from the burneilto pass downwardly about corn resting on: the platform. i. .Corn to be fed to theplatform is depos-l Y j ited -upon an inclined shelf 6 forming an 'eX-y tension of the` upper endof theplatform and such corn is adapted to gravitate dovvnV the platform to .and about a baille 7 at the bottom thereof to "be deposited upion a`hori' Zontal shelf 8 below theV platforfrd 'I' In order Vthat the passage of the cornflown the Platform e@ een. and resa: lar, I preferably associate'withV suoli plat'- form, suitable escapement mechanism vallei-te'-V by the'movementof the cornV is positively controlled. This escapement may vary Without departing from the invention, but, as

,showin a shaft 9extends across "-the lower lthe corn for further movement"` The Vshaft 9 is connected at'` `1`ie"en'd With anyapprof pria-te escapement 'mechanism Which will? al# 10W "of *substantially timed intermittent `reciprocation's "of the shafti V which `tendsto rotate`-tlieshaft9 -antlfby associatingsuitable stop 'or escapernelitmeans ted to rotateV periodically toperinit Vthe discharge of roastedea-rs'of corn `down the discharge incline7 and' the infeed'at the top of the* apparatus of uncooked "ears off corn.'

The'iea'rs of Acorn mayibeffed loosely onto the platform 3, but as theylhave a tendency tottwist While rolling, vit'ris preferredto' secure each two ears'of corn affterithe'manner Vjsh-ovvnin- Figure "3"'bymeans' of'an linter-l alinement and to provide a convenient means-.for removing' the assembly fro-inthe apparatus after the fco'rnrhas beenroasted.v

:VVhen'lcorn ears, assembled"asshown in Figure 13, are v-placedonlthe"receiving shelf 6, they will fgravitate on tothe inclined platform 3, and will filllthe platform vfrom top i' to bottom with the' constant tendency toV roll down lt-he incline. The use of Wire .mesh on the' incline increases the tendency toj roll over that which Afouldbe present if lthe surface of the incline weresmootln VIt is for Vthis reason, "among lotl1ers,-tha't ,the` Wire mesh 4is Eused as a fpart yof the inclinedplatf `form `'-Ihus as the .escapement permits thecorn to travel djownwardlyfover the inclinemthe corn'will be rotated "at each successlvednovef ment, so thatflby the tim'ewthe corn reaches4 th'ebottoin of the 'incline and "isready to :be discharged through fthe escapement mechanisml'to which If have lrefered, fsaidporn will" berotated at eachV forward,movement` thereof. t -Thus, by the time thecorn has reached the bottom of the inclinef, itA Will have been thoroughly roasted by the radiantk heat from theburneranfd *Whjenfthe' corn and ready for consumption at once.l It may be to provide within the apparatus a storage shelf 1B for storing the surplus .loastedcorn in order that a stock' may be kept on hand for prospective customers.

fllheupper 'portionlfof the apparatus is enclosed Within suitable sheet metal housoffbeat and constitutes inf'ieetan oven-in l which 1-the croasting"operation 'is carried on'. The corn" stored" up'on the platform "13is housed Within the so-calledioven Hand' iS thusliept "Warm and-palatable. 'l

' fTo al-low of" Vaccess to the oven or casing,` the front Aportion thereof `is preferably 'prothe shelf 8 is eXten'dedjbeyond `thefro'ntff` the-.frame to forrifa' delivery"shelf lato The Weight ofthe corn` on the platform Vis inani'festly imposed'l upon lthe lingers l0 25 permit'of convenientl dispensing." f

openended hood la v 4Oneof the -most im ortant featuresiof the present invention' lresidesin the "fact that com "is ontiiaanyftumed "while the 'roastoperation4 'isv` Y'proc'eeded"vvithf orderthat allsidesof the ear maybe presented to the heat l"to obtain Labsolute uniform'ir'oast throughout.

asf"

Ifurther important feature `of the i-n-v l vention is finhere'nt'iii' the faetthat fthe lmove`` nient of the corn down 'the'i v A for'c'e of gravityg'operates aitoh-aticmeclal nisin to control Vthe' speed of "the passage'o'f the corn'fthrough the heating z'on'eFfTh apparatus therefore does ,Iit'i reduire any other Words," novr motor, "sprclietsf'o/i" other 'ne undeth'e ff" operating parts', controlled' by'outside pyv'er,

are"J requiredf" The apparatus'isthroughly automatic in its operation V"and the "'pr" isunifornily cooked.

The foregoing detailedy description forth the `invention inits preferrec'l'lpractical v form, `but thelin'vention is to beuniderstood as fully" commensurate withv theap'pende'd For example, in theshowing'of ther'drawi ings, the cornis caused 'tov'ro'l'l bydeli'vering Y it Vupon an .inclined lplatform d oivn'j` it travelsby gravity."V mayjinwpractice,

tionary :horizontal lplatform in progdmity'to the'fsource of heatiby afsu-itable conveyorl driven in"anyappropriate.mannen 1 Halvingkthus fullyvdescribed-f the invention, WhatI'claimas new and'fdesire fto seL v105 p extraneous power y'for "its foperaton'j ing in contact therewith and thereby given a step by step movement.

2. In a corn roaster, a source' of radiant heat, ak stationary inclined platform in prox-- imity to the said source of radiant heat and so constructedy as to engage the corn and cause it to roll as it gravitates down the platform, and rotary'means disposed near the lower end of said platform in the path of the descending corn actuated by the contact ofthe corn therewith for periodically releasing the lowermost ear of corn.

3. A corn roaster in accordance with y claim 2in which there isa baile disposed below said rotary means. y

4; A corn roaster in accordance with claim 2 in which there is provided escapement mechanism associatedwith said rotary means for periodically' releasing the lowermost ear of corn.

v y In testimony whereof, WENDEL SMEK, has

signed his name to this speciicatiomthis 16th day of December, 1926.

wENDEL SIMEK. 

